ACC Coaches Bitter Over NCAA Tournament Snubs

ACC coaches are bitter about the conference’s lack of representation at the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Only four teams from the ACC were picked for March Madness and to make matters worse for the coaches, neither the Miami Hurricanes nor Duke Blue Devils received a number one seed.

The Maryland Terrapins’ bubble burst on Selection Sunday despite beating Duke on two occasions this season. Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was critical of the selection committee and said the ACC improved as the season went on.

“The perception of our league just wasn’t great,” Turgeon said. “Our league was much better than last year. The ACC had some bad losses early and it just stuck with us.”

The Virginia Cavaliers were also considered a team on the bubble and had to be content with a berth in the National Invitational Tournament.

Virginia coach Tony Bennett believes the ACC received the short end of the stick and said it’s as good as any conference in America.

“It’s a really good conference and I was just hoping it would garner a little more respect than that,” he said.

North Carolina was in danger of missing the NCAA tournament as they struggled mightily in the first half of the season until coach Roy Williams went to a smaller lineup, which paid instant dividends.

The Tar Heels wound up with a number eight seed in the South region but Williams was baffled as to why so many teams were left out.

“I am somewhat surprised and disappointed that only four ACC teams are in the field and that the league only received two #2’s and two #8 seeds,” Williams said. “I think the ACC deserved better than that.”

While some ACC coaches are bitter over the snubs, they will be hoping that the four teams that made the NCAA tournament will make the conference proud.